The Messenger – preview of November issue

PRESS RELEASE FROM MESSENGER PUBLICATIONS

13 October 2026

The starting point for many of the articles in the November Messenger lies in David Breen’s Scripture reflection on Christ the King.  Christians celebrate and follow a king whose nature is self-giving love and who defined greatness in terms of service. However, we live in a world where power and wealth are often misused and sometimes weaponised. Thus, the Pope’s Intention for this month is that wealth may be put at the service of the common good and solidarity of those who have less;  Shane Daly SJ observes that, like the elder brother in the story of the prodigal son, we are often more comfortable in the Old Testament world of ‘an eye for an eye’ – we would rather punish than forgive. However, he writes, Jesus’ words and actions challenge such attitudes. Andrea Hayes says that being present with another and accompanying them through suffering is one of the quietest and most profound expressions of love we can offer. Elaborating on this, Brendan McManus SJ describes the role of the pilgrim ministry, Camino Companions, of which he is a member, as one of active listening and creating a safe space to share personal experiences. John Cullen reflects that we can encounter God in the words of those we might consider the least likely – the homeless, the powerless and the vulnerable. And Vincent Sherlock writes that God is with us when we seek out and engage with things that unite us rather than focus on the divisions that can cause us harm.

November is the month when we particularly remember our dead, and Brendan Quinlivan recounts his mother’s special rituals around the November prayers. Bernard Cotter describes the setting up and operation of his parish’s funeral team. And we read about the execution and martyrdom in 1927 of Jesuit Miguel Augustine Pro Juárez during the term of a rabidly anti-Catholic president in Mexico.

To complete the issue, along with our regular features, we read John Feehan on the wonder of leaf-fall, Mary Hunt on the symbolism of the Advent wreath and Matt Moran on Mayo Abbey, once the spiritual engine of County Mayo. November’s Messenger is a varied and engaging read!

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